The possibility of having passed the Great Filter (or if the greatest obstacles lie ahead) is an exciting and slightly unsettling subject that is a part of the “Fermi Paradox” (the question of “Where is everybody?” when it comes to extraterrestrial life). The “Great Filter” is a concept that is both intriguing and potentially disturbing; essentially, it is the theory that there is some sort of barrier (known as the “Filter”) that many life forms fail to overcome from basic building blocks to cosmic civilizations.

This week, we will delve into the stimulating idea of the “Great Filter” and examine whether humanity has successfully navigated the most significant hurdle(s) or if there remains much work to be done to achieve our full potential as a species.

The “Great Filter” was developed by scientists to explain why the universe seems so empty when considering the sheer number of stars in it and the possible number of planets capable of supporting life. Simply put, it suggests that while many planets may produce life, only a handful of those may evolve to become advanced enough to communicate or travel throughout the universe. The “filter” could be any point in the process of evolution or the growth of a civilization, from the formation of multicellular organisms to the emergence of intelligent life or even the ability of a civilization to avoid self-destruction (for example, nuclear war or climate change).

Therefore, where are we? If the majority of the “great filter” exists in our past, then it is likely that the most frightening natural barriers that exist today include the emergence of life, the transition to intelligent beings, or catastrophic planetary-scale events that wiped out many species before we evolved and grew. If this is the case, our survival through the technological adolescent phase would position us as one of the fortunate species to overcome the filter, transforming our future into a vast expanse of possibilities rather than a perilous unknown.

However, if the enormous filter still lies ahead, then the lack of any type of signal or interstellar visitor may indicate that civilizations tend to destroy themselves once they reach a certain point of development. Consider global nuclear annihilation, runaway climate catastrophes, or possibly new types of technological hazards that we have yet to envision. This view is a harsh reminder that the dangers of the future are not the stuff of science fiction but are very real challenges that humanity will need to face with all of the collective wisdom and cooperation that we can summon.

One of the interesting aspects of this discussion is how the search for life beyond Earth provides context for this debate. The discovery of microbial life elsewhere in the universe indicates that the initial steps towards life are relatively easy and therefore pushes the “Great Filter” further down the evolutionary road. On the other hand, if life is forever elusive, then a filter may exist within the simplest chemical processes that give rise to it. Regardless, each time we discover a new exoplanet or moon, we move closer to understanding which direction the “Great Filter” is heading.

Reflecting on the “Great Filter” personally reminds me of the resilience of the human spirit and our responsibility as a species. It is both humbling to consider ourselves as a potential “rare survivor” and also serves as a warning that we should take care not to falter at the next major obstacle. Whether the “Great Filter” is behind us or still lying ahead, we are living in a fragile window of time in which we must carefully plan the next chapter in our history.

In my next column, I will discuss how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), may impact our future in terms of the risks associated with our existence—will AI provide us with tools to help us accelerate through the next phases of development, or will they represent additional barriers to the next hurdle in our progress? Stay curious and look up; the universe’s secrets may be closer than we think.